Garment bag supporting device



1955 w. 1. LUDW'IG GARMENT BAG SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Nov. 28 1950 IN VEN TOR.

40 BY WALTER L.Luowa s ag/$4 aw ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent GARMENT BAG SUPPORTING DEVICE Walter L. Ludwig,Denton, Md., assignor to International Latex Corporation, Dover, Del., acorporation of Delaware Application November 28, 1950, Serial No.197,983

6 Claims. (Cl. 211-118) This invention relates to a supporting devicefor garment bags and particularly to a supporting device which may befolded into compact form when it is desired to ship or store the garmentbag.

Garment bags for storing or protecting garments are well known andusually consist of a fabric in the shape of a rectangular box suspendedfrom a rectangular frame which in turn is suspended from a hook or othermeans suitable for holding the bag suspended in a closet or on a rack.The fabric itself is relatively thin and when folded occupies arelatively small volume. Normally the limiting factor in the size of agarment bag when collapsed for shipment or storage is the size of thesupporting device. It is, therefore, desirable to reduce the size of thesupporting device when not in use to the smallest size possibleconsistent with its function and with mechanical requirements as torigidity.

The size of the supporting device in its storing or shipping form may bereduced by making the device foldable. However, the device should besimple to fold and unfold and in its unfolded or operating condition, itmust be rigid and strong.

In addition to the above features, it is desirable that the device bearranged so that the covering fabric may be easily removed and so thatonly a small opening in the covering fabric is required for any part ofthe device to extend through the covering. Also, the covering fabricshould be able to snugly engage any part extending therethrough so as toprevent the ingress of dust, vermin, etc.

It is an object of the invention to provide a supporting device forgarment bags which may be easily folded to a small and compact size andwhich is both sturdy in construction and light in weight.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a supporting devicefor garment bags which may be easily and economically manufactured.Other features and obects of the invention will be apparent from thedescripand a chain 27 may also be provided to assist in holding tion ofa preferred embodiment of the invention given hereinafter.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a garment bag supportingdevice comprising a pair of generally 0- 'ice to practice the inventionis described herein by way of example only.

My invention may be better understood by referring to the followingdetailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a supporting device, constructed inaccordance with the invention and shown in operative relationship to agarment bag and garment hangers to be supported therefrom;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which thesupporting device may be folded into compact form; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary vertical sectional views taken along thelines 6-6 and 7-7 respectively of Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Figs. 1-3, the supporting device comprises a pair ofgenerally C-shaped frame members 10 and 11, preferably formed fromstiff, heavy wire, mounted on a plate member 12 with their partiallyopen sides facing the plate member 12. Each of the frame members 10 and11 has a pair of arms 13 and 14 and 15 and 16 at the free ends of theframe members, the arms extending parallel to the plane of the platemember 12 and abutting the plate member. The arms 1316 are preferablyformed by bending the ends of the frame members at an anglesubstantially perpendicular to the planes of the frame members and bytwisting the tips of the arms back on the arms so as to provide rounded,smooth ends for the-arms. The frame members are so mounted on the platemember that the arm 13 is adjacent to and facing arm 15 and arm 14 isadjacent to and facing arm 16. in this manner, the pressure of the arms13 and 14 against the plate member 12 is opposed by the pressure of thearms 15 and 16 against the opposite side of the plate member 12.

The plate member 12 is preferably made of sheet metal and has aplurality of apertures 17 therein for receiving clothes hanging devices,such as a hanger 18. The plate member also has a portion 19 thereof bentat right angles to the plane of the plate member so as to encircleportions 20, 21, 22 and 23 extending along the partially open shapedframe members held together at their open ends by a plate member whichalso serves as a hanger rack. The expression C-shaped member as usedherein is intended to include a member of square or rectangularconfiguration having one partially open side, as well as otherconfigurations having an opening in their peripheries. Short armsperpendicular to the planes of the C-shaped members are formed at theends of these members, and the members are so held together that thearms of one member oppose the arms of the other member when the sides ofthe frame members 10 and 11 and so as to provide a point of attachmentfor an eye bolt 24. The eye bolt 24 along with a hook 25 serve to holdthe supporting device suspended from a hook or clothes rack. A link 26the supporting device in a hanging position.

Although the portion 19 of the plate member 12 encircles the portions20-23 of the frame members 10 and 11, the portion 19 does not encirclethe portions 20-23 so tightly that the frame members 10 and 11 cannot berotated about parallel axes passing through the portions 2023. In otherwords, the frame members 10 and 11 are attached to the plate member 12in such a manner that a hinge is formed at substantially thelongitudinal midpoint of the frame and the frame members may be deviceis in use. An eye bolt is screwed into the plate ment of which showingthe manner in which I now prefer rotated in an upward direction, as seenin Fig. 1. Thus, the frame may be reduced to approximately one half itslength when it is desired to store or ship the supporting device.

A garment bag 28 surrounds the supporting device which holds the bag ina distended condition. The supporting device is assembled with thegarment bag by placing the device with the eye bolt 24 removed insidethe bag and under the top panel thereof. The eye bolt 24 is theninserted through an aperture 29 in the top panel of the bag and turnedinto a threaded member held within the portion 19 of the plate member 12in a manner later described in detail herein. The top panel of the bag28 snugly engages the eye bolt at the point where it passes through thetop panel and thus prevents ingress of dust, vermin, etc. around theshank of the eye bolt, which eye bolt is the only part of the supportingdevice extending through the walls of the garment bag 28.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 4, the arms 14 and 16 face each other onopposite sides of the plate member 12 and are adjacent each other sothat the force of the frame member 10 is opposed by the force of theframe member 11 caused by the weight of the frame members and thegarment bag 23 suspended from the frame members. The plate member 12may, therefore, be made of relatively thin sheet metal because there areno forces tending to bend the plate member 12, and the frame composed ofthe members 10 and 11 will be more rigid than if the arms were spacedfrom each other laterally of the frame.

In Figs. 1-4, the supporting device has been shown in the unfolded oroperating position. When it is de sired to store or ship the garmentbag, the garment bag 28 is removed from the supporting device by firstremoving the eye bolt 24 from the plate member 12 and by subsequentlyremoving the supporting device from inside the garment bag 28. Thegarment bag may then be folded to compact size and one of the framemembers may be folded on top of the other by rotating the frame memberin the manner described above.

Alternatively, the frame may be folded without removing the garment bag.In this case, the garment bag is folded on top of the frame subsequentto the folding of the frame.

Fig. illustrates the relative positions of the frame members and 11 whenthe frame has been folded for storage or shipment. As indicated in Fig.5, the frame member 11 lies on top of the frame member 10 and the arms13 and 15 lie in substantially the same plane. The plate member 12 maylie in the plane of the frame members 10 and 11 or it may be rotated sothat it is substantially parallel to one of the arms 13 and 15.

Because the plate member 12 is preferably made of relatively thin sheetmetal, I prefer to attach the eye bolt 24 to the plate member 12 byinserting a threaded member inside of the portion 1) of the platemember, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The threaded member 30 may beinserted in the portion 19 before the edge 31 of the portion 19 isrolled or otherwise formed on the portion 19. In this manner, thethreaded member 30 is tightly held within the portion 19.

The threaded member 30 has a hole 32 therein having threaded walls forengagement with the threads on the eye bolt 24. in addition, the platemember 12 has a slot 33 therein for receiving the end 34 of the eye bolt24. When the bolt 24 is tightened, the end 34 is forced against the endof slot 33 and not only prevents looseness of the eye belt 24 but alsomakes the portion 19 relatively rigid with respect to the downwardlyextending portion 35 of the plate member 12. The engagement of the end34 with the end of slot 33 thereby assists in keeping the plate member12 rigid and in preventing bending of the plate member along the linewhere the portion 19 joins the portion 35.

Having thus described my invention with particular reference to thepreferred form thereof, it will be obvious to those skilled in the artto which the invention pertains, after understanding my invention, thatvarious changes and modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention, as defined by the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. A foldable supporting device adapted, when unfolded, to provide aframe for supporting the top of a garment bag at its periphery whilesupporting garment hangers within said bag comprising a pair ofgenerally C-shaped frame members that are coextensive with the peripheryof the top of said garment bag when placed end to end in a single plane,the inturned ends of each of said frame members terminating in stepelements normal to the plane of the respective frame member, and a platemember narrower than the open spaces between the sides of said framemember and comprising means for the support of garment hangers, saidplate member being bent at the upper longitudinal edge in the form of atube having outermost portions extending around the inturned ends of theframe members, said tube being apertured for free rotation of the stopelements, whereby said frame members are pivotable upwardly to ajuxtaposed position and downwardly to an extended position with saidstop members in paired opposing positions.

2. A foldable supporting device adapted, when unfolded, to provideaframe for supporting the top of a garment bag at its periphery whilesupporting garment hangers within said bag comprising a pair ofgenerally 0- shaped frame members that are coextensive with theperiphery of the top of said garment bag when placed end to end in asingle plane, the inturned ends of each of said frame membersterminating in stop elements normal to the plane of the respective framemember, a plate member narrower than the open space between the sides ofsaid frame members and pivotally associated with said frame members sothat said frame members are pivotable upwardly to a juxtaposed positionand downwardly to an extended position with said stop members bearing onsaid plate member to maintain it in a vertical positiono, said platemember being apertured for the reception of garment hangers andcomprising a tubular portion centrally positioned on the upper edge ofsaid member, and a threaded member fixedly encircled by said tubularportion and adapted to engage the threads of an eyelet bolt, saidtubular portion being apertured for the insertion of said eyelet bolt insaid threaded member.

3. A foldable supporting device adapted, when unfolded, to provide aframe for supporting the top of a garment bag at its periphery whilesupporting garment hangers within said bag comprising a pair ofgenerally C- shaped frame members that are coextensive with theperiphery of the top of said garment bag when placed end to end in asingle plane, the inturned ends of each of said frame membersterminating in stop elements normal to the plane of the respective framemember, a plate member pivotally associated with said frame members andcomprising means for the support of garment hangers, said plate memberbeing bent at its upper longitudinal edge in the form of a tube, and athreaded member fixedly encircled by the central portion of said tubeand adapted to engage the threads of an eyelet bolt, said centralportion of the tube being apertured at top and bottom for the passage ofsaid eyelet bolt therethrough and the portion of the plate memberadjacent the bottom aperture being shaped to bear against the projectingend of said eyelet bolt and maintain said plate member and said eyeletbolt in fixed position.

4. A foldable supporting device adapted, when unfolded, to provide aframe for supporting the top of a garment bag at its periphery whilesupporting garment hangers within said bag comprising a pair of frameseach having the shape of a rectangle with a partially open side andhaving inturned ends terminating in stop elements substantially normalto the plane of the respective frame, said frames being coextensive withthe periphery of the top of said garment bag when placed end to end in asingle plane, and a hanger-supporting member comprising a web aperturedfor the reception of garment hangers and a tube positioned at the upperlongitudinal edge of said web and having outermost portions extendingaround the inturned ends of the frames, said tube being shorter than thespace between the sides of the frames that are perpendicular to the axisof said tube and being apertured for free rotation of the stop elements,whereby said frame members are pivotable upwardly to a juxtaposedposition and downwardly to an extended position with said stop membersbearing on said web to maintain it in a vertical position.

5. In a garment bag having an outer collapsible enclosing envelope forcontaining garments, a frame for supporting the bag, positioned insideand at the top thereof, comprising two wire sections conforming to thecross-sectional configuration of the garment bag, the ends of the wiresections inwardly extending to form pivots and shaped beyond said pivotsin the form of stop portions, and a sheet metal frame member extendingtransversely across the top of the garment bag, said sheet metal beingarranged in the form of a tube for holding the adjacent pivoting ends ofthe wire sections in side by side relationship and having a flatdownwardly extending section, said stop portions engaging said flatdownwardly extending section of the sheet metal frame member to supportthe wire sections in the cross-sectional configuration of the garmentbag.

6. In a garment bag having an outer collapsible enclosing envelope forcontaining garments, a frame for supporting the bag positioned insideand at the top thereof, comprising two wire sections, conforming to thecrosssectional configuration of the garment bag, pivotally mounted to asheet metal frame member extending transversely across the top of thegarment bag, said sheet metal frame member Wrapped about a nut, and ahook having a threaded end for engagement with the nut, said hookextending through an aperture in said bag at the top thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,618,157 Harmon Feb. 15, 1927 1,732,992 Spiro Oct. 22, 1929 1,817,536Spanel Aug. 4, 1931 2,144,350 Swanstrom Ian. 17, 1939 2,230,037 HoefiichJan. 28, 1941 2,523,682 Corwin Sept. 26, 1950 2,535,625 Corwin Dec. 26,1950

